Prisoner actions unlikely to lead to leniency

CHILLICOTHE —While the actions of two inmates were seen as commendable when they helped save the life of a fellow prisoner who tried to kill himself at the Ross County Jail, the people involved will not see any special consideration when their cases are considered in court.

When a 37-year-old inmate in jail on a juvenile court warrant for nonsupport attempted to hang himself in one of the jail's male housing units Friday, two other prisoners responded to the man's cell and began performing lifesaving measures until a jail nurse intervened. Authorities said the reaction was something they like to see in inmates.

"Even though they are prisoners, they are still an extra set of eyes when it comes to security," Ross County Sheriff's Office Lt. Mike Preston said.

It took eight minutes from the time the man went into the cell until he was discovered, Preston said. Jail staff had performed an observation check six minutes before the time the inmate entered the cell alone.

The man was taken to Adena Medical Center before being flown to the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University. He is expected to make a full recovery.

The incident marked the second time this year in which inmates helped save a fellow prisoner who was suicidal. In January, a 46-year-old man facing felony charges for impersonating a police officer, burglary and receiving stolen property tried to hang himself with a sheet tied around his neck. The actions of fellow inmates helped save the man's life after he jumped from a second-floor walkway rail.

Although they are lifesaving, inmate actions to save their peers might not help them with their own case in court, Ross County Prosecutor Matt Schmidt said.

"Someone in jail facing criminal charges will ask for anything," Schmidt said about inmates going before a judge.

The actions of the inmates who alerted jail staff of the latest attempt and performed lifesaving measures could conceivably be used by their defense attorneys as evidence of good behavior in pursuing leniency with a judge.

Schmidt, however, does not recall any recent case of an inmate using such actions in jail to try and help his or her case.

"It is usually not something we take into consideration," Schmidt said. "It doesn't count as a reduction of what their crime is."

The sheriff's office said the jail staff checks on prisoners on a regular basis; it also has invested in extra cameras to monitor the cell block areas. Attempts are made to segregate inmates who might be suicidal to allow for closer monitoring, but despite the effort, similar incidents have happened before.